PLF is literally growing – in space and in employees. We grew from a staff of four in our beloved small office in Pico Rivera to an incredibly accomplished team of 30 in our new offices in Downey. While we continue along this upward trajectory, we are excited about PLF’s future.
As we recruit new agents, it’s important to acknowledge the talent and commitment of our current staff – from management to #realtors and lenders – who have all grown professionally during their years at PLF, contributing to our company’s success. We value our team and we work hard to ensure they are supported throughout their real estate journey.
To sustain that support, we recently launched PLF’s Mentorship Program for new agents. This program will help newly #licensed agents navigate the industry like a true pro. We take pride in passing our deep knowledge and experience on to the next generation of real estate professionals. The Mentorship Program truly reflects our shared values of innovation and discipline as it allows us to nurture our staff with structured and dedicated training and coaching.
The PLF Mentorship Program grew out of my experience. Like any budding professional, I entered the workforce motivated and positive, eager to work, and ready to tackle my career by storm. That’s the spirit I had when I started in real estate at 18 years old. When the harsh realities of the business began to surface, I realized there were so many facets of the industry that I wasn’t privy to. Early in my career, there have been many instances where clients didn’t have intentions to buy or weren’t serious about purchasing property, and I even had brokers who wouldn’t pay me. At the time, I was deflated and defensive, but because of those experiences, I began to imagine there must be a better way to exist in real estate.
I met and signed up with a broker, Craig Martin, who happened to also be a pastor. I loved his kind demeanor and his mindset when it came to real estate. He provided so much support and presence to his agents, and I saw what an impact it made on their work. I wanted to grow from that place and I take that mindset with me to this day.
After I graduated college, I landed in a job market marred by the Great Recession. I became a broker and was self-motivated to succeed. I plugged myself into the city of Pico Rivera and because of the loyalty of the community there, I was able to build a huge referral system, and eventually my online lead system.
The network of local businesses, family, and friends, who were invested in the well-being of our community, is the heart of PLF’s beginning and the core of how my vision of the Mentorship Program came to be. My longest-tenured realtor and lender, Earl Hearvey, has been with PLF since its inception. I was a broker and he was looking for someplace to put his #license. Our work together grew organically from a friendship we made within the Pico Rivera community.
My experience with another agent, and my first recruit, Cliff, really helped me think about the structure of training new agents. He was the hardest worker I knew – worked a full-time job, on top of prospecting, making appointments, and showing for PLF, and then Ubered if he had time. Cliff would get one-on-one training with me, come along to shadow, and learn our online lead system. He manifested an incredible amount of business before he left to move out of state. Cliff told me that the knowledge I passed on to him was invaluable to his success. I continue to be grateful for Cliff’s tenure at PLF – he brought on two of our current agents, Mike Ramirez and Aaron Carrillo. This is what makes PLF stand out – when you’re part of the PLF family, we go out of our way to support your success.
I continued training new agents who were brought on through our community networks. We got agents licensed and also trained agents who had no experience in the industry. They went on to become high producers even in tough markets. My teaching style and online training were becoming more effective, and I needed to make them sustainable.
After years of unstructured and ad hoc training, I decided this year to systematize the education we impart to our agents. Our Mentorship Program for new agents will help jump-start their careers with our strategy:
Organization
We abide by a rigorous schedule of items that must be met, and calendared meetings throughout the week.
Collaboration
Our weekly office meetings allow our staff to check in, become informed and plugged into the latest trends in the market, learn how to work out issues with clients (ie. role play uncomfortable situations, learn how to establish your value as an agent), and collaborate with other agents to be immersed in real estate culture.
Career Development
We offer functional real estate training. Each week we cover topics around a function of a transaction (ie. home inspections, home warranty, 1031 exchange, escrow). We also hold cold call training.
Sales Training
Each week, I hold sales training so that our agents get that live connection.
We value partnership and connection not only with our clients but with our staff as well. We understand that real estate can be an overwhelming profession to learn, but we make sure our agents feel comfortable and confident at every juncture.
Our Mentorship Program is intensive and intentional. We connect with our team and have exceptional administrative support – whatever our agents need, our staff support will have your back. Consider a career in real estate with PLF. Our Mentorship Program will help you get started and feel confident in the field. Let us plug you into a trajectory of success within our culture of community.
If you are interested in the PLF Real Estate Solutions Mentorship Program, contact Herb Diaz at 562-249-1374 or herb@plfrealestate.com.
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